Traveller Education figures vindicate Pavee Point position
Pavee Point Press Release
16/09/2008
Traveller Education figures vindicate Pavee Point position
Pavee Point has welcomed early indications of figures on Traveller education, apparently showing a doubling in the number of Travellers transitioning into secondary education, and a five-fold increase in Travellers entering third-level education.
Speaking at a meeting with young people in Pavee Point, Colette Murray said:
"These new statistics are massively encouraging, showing that Travellers up and down the country are engaging with education, learning skills and preparing themselves for the world of work. We've said for years that young Travellers need to keep the pressure up, stay on in school and take qualifications. We're glad the message is getting through."
Pavee Point, a national Traveller organisation, has for many years had a focus on education, encouraging parents and young Travellers to value education and embrace it as an way out from
the community's history of disadvantage and discrimination, and an effective way to improve the prospects for employment for the community.
While new figures show an improvement in the outlook for Travellers, the figures are still far too low. Concerted efforts must be made and resourced to reach out to Traveller parents, some of whom have no experience of secondary education, to effectively explain the value of continued education for their children.
Pavee Point will now seek a meeting with the Minister for Education to discuss how to improve upon the figures for tbe future.
Ben Archibald, Pavee Point Press Officer: 0868274598 and ben@pavee.ie